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Dear Business Colleagues,
AIG Commercial Insurance's (AIGCI) commitment to policyholders is never more evident than when claims are filed. Our willingness and ability to pay claims remains unassailable - even in the face of our parent company's challenges. In fact, in the past 45 days, Lexington Insurance Company, a member of AIGCI, has advanced $130 million in claim payments on nearly 2,300 claims for customers devastated by Hurricanes Ike and Gustav.
Below are more facts that I think are important to note about AIGCI's claims operations:
- AIGCI stands ready to pay claims, making on average $73 million in policyholder claims payments every single business day.
- There is no substitute for experience. Nearly 6,000 dedicated AIGCI claims professionals average more than 10 years of experience.
- AIGCI's in-house claims experts manage the most highly technical and complex claims situations from severity specialty and workers' compensation claims to primary casualty and directors' and officers' liability suits.
- More than 50 percent of the staff in most of our specialty claims areas are attorneys. These professionals provide our operations with in-depth knowledge of laws and regulations, real world experience, and an ability to identify, and help circumvent, developing loss trends.
- Best-in-class, global resources are on-the-ground for the benefit of our clients, including premier law firms, investigators, medical management professionals, forensic specialists and others.
- The latest technology streamlines claims reporting and expedites resolution, including paperless claims handling and convenient 24/7 online access to report claims.
When clients need us most, the promise to pay covered claims and provide exemplary service is a priority at AIGCI. I would ask you to compare our in-house claims resources to others. I am confident that you will find our claims team is second to none.
For more information on our market-leading claims capabilities, contact your local AIGCI representative, your broker or visit: www.aig.com/commercialinsurance.com. Additionally, an updated Fact Sheet is available on the latest AIGCI developments.
Thank you for your continued support.
John Q. Doyle
President and CEO
AIG Commercial Insurance
Appalachian Underwriters, Inc.
Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. Expands MGA Operations by Acquiring the Insurance Assets of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) "Business Insurance Center", from program administrator MSC Insurance Agency of Tennessee, LLC.
Oak Ridge, TN, - AUI has acquired the "Business Insurance Center" Insurance assets of NFIB, a leading small business association representing small and independent businesses, from MSC Insurance Agency of Tennessee, LLC., the program administrator.
The transaction consists of approximately 75% workers' compensation policies, which is well served by AUI's area of expertise. Also, AUI further expands its' nationwide capabilities into 1,500 additional independent insurance agencies, bringing their extensive distribution network to over 13,000 active agency partners. To assure a smooth transition, all NFIB carrier appointments will be transferred to AUI which expands the available markets for all our agents. All NFIB fax and phone numbers, including extensions will roll seamlessly to AUI.
AUI has also retained key underwriting staff, including Sandy Hopkins; she may be reached at
(888) 376-9633 Ext. 7311 or sandy.hopkins@appund.com.
Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. is a full service MGA and Wholesale Insurance Brokerage, providing independent agents a National outlet to multiple specialized markets for Workers' Compensation, Commercial Specialty, and Personal Lines of insurance. AUIs' home office is located at 800 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Suite A-1000 o Oak Ridge, TN 37830. With Satellite Offices in: San Diego, CA o Kennesaw, GA o Altamonte Springs, FL o Sarasota, FL o Murfreesboro, TN
To learn more about Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. please visit www.appund.com
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is the leading small business association representing small and independent businesses. A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1943, NFIB represents the consensus views of its members in Washington and all 50 state capitals. To learn more about NFIB please visit www.nfib.com
Appalachian Underwriters, Inc.
Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. (AUI) Expands Operations by forming a Commercial Brokerage Division and Opens a New Location in Sarasota, Florida
to House the New Division.
Oak Ridge, TN, - AUI has formed the Commercial Brokerage Division and has selected a dedicated staff with the knowledge and expertise to facilitate solutions for property and casualty risks that are unique, unusual, or require a high capacity. The new Brokerage Division allows AUI to expand beyond their existing Managed Programs and place accounts of virtually any size for their 13,000 active agency partners.
The Commercial Brokerage Division is led by Mark Arnold; he brings 22 years of insurance industry experience, most recently in the capacity of Branch Manager for Swett & Crawford in Sarasota, Florida. Mary Busciglio has also joined the AUI Brokerage Division as a Commercial Broker; Mary has 33 years of insurance industry experience, 13 of which have been in the Commercial Brokerage area, having served as a Broker with AmWINS for 11 years and later with Burns & Wilcox prior to Joining AUI.
For more information Contact: Mark Arnold (Director, Brokerage Division), 865-425-8481; mark.arnold@appund.com; or Mary Busciglio (Commercial Broker), 865-425-8482; mary.busciglio@appund.com
Victor O. Schinnerer
Schinnerer Announces Enhanced BOP and GL Policy Endorsements
Chevy Chase, MD - Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc. announces several enhanced endorsements to their business owner's policy (BOP). The enhancements were developed to address the unique needs of architects, engineers, consultants and especially those of interior designers and surveyors who handle valuable art, papers or use specialized equipment.
Business Owner's Policy Property Endorsement
The BOP endorsement has increased limits on electronic data equipment, accounts receivable, valuable papers and fine arts. In addition, here are some of the enhancements that specifically benefit design professionals and surveyors:
For design professionals:
- Full coverage for business personal property off premises for 60 days. Optional coverage is available for 60+ days.
- Increased limits for property in their care, custody and control at any location or in transit.
- The fine arts definition has been changed to include models, sculptures and artistic renderings.
- The valuable papers and records definition specifically includes designs and plans.
- Increased limits for laptops and PDAs both on and off premises.
For surveyors, in addition to the above enhancements:
- A definition of surveyor's equipment has been added to address their unique exposures such as breakage of glass and lenses.
Business Owner's Policy General Liability Endorsement
The GL endorsement has been enhanced to benefit many types of design professionals. Here are some of the features:
- Now providing contractual liability coverage for work performed within 50 feet of railroads.
- Most frequently requested types of additional insureds are included. The coverage triggers automatically so policyholders don't need a separate endorsement each time they're asked to cover an additional entity.
- Additional insured coverage is triggered by contractual requirements and includes the following:
1. Products and completed operations
2. Primary or primary and non-contributing
3. Waiver of subrogation
- Aggregate limit applies on a per project basis.
Coverage for professional liability, employment practices, D&O and fiduciary is also provided for this class of business.
For more information on our design firms and consultants program, go to www.PlanetAEC.com. Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc. is one of the largest and most experienced underwriting managers of professional liability and specialty insurance programs in the world. Schinnerer now serves more than 55,000 policyholders in various specialty industries through independent agents and brokers.
Victor O. Schinnerer & Co., Inc.,Two Wisconsin Circle ,Chevy Chase, MD 20815-7022 ,Phone: 301-961-9800, Fax: 301-951-5444, Website: www.Schinnerer.com, Email: vos.info@Schinnerer.com
Victor O. Schinnerer
Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc. is Named AIA's Commended Program
Chevy Chase, MD-Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc. is pleased to announce its recent selection by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) as the commended professional liability insurance program for its membership. This decision reaffirms Schinnerer's long-standing commendation with the AIA.
Schinnerer was selected based on expertise in underwriting, quality of coverage and service standards. Schinnerer, in fact, not only met, but exceeded many of the guidelines set forth by the AIA.
The commendation is based upon key benefits of the Schinnerer program to AIA members including:
- Broad eligibility and coverage for architects.
- Coverage for AIA members and their firms of diverse sizes and types of service.
- The Schinnerer program stresses the importance of risk management and the role it plays in the prevention of claims.
- Schinnerer provides exceptional customer service to clients.
The commendation agreement between Schinnerer and the AIA is a continuation of a 50-year commitment to the industry. In 1956, Victor O. Schinnerer & Co., Inc. was approached by the AIA to develop an insurance program for architects. At that time, Schinnerer developed a professional liability policy that was the first of its kind for the design industry. The selection of Schinnerer to continue as the commended program is a testament to the company's strength, durability and commitment to quality.
For more information on our professional liability program for architects and engineers, visit our website at: www.Schinnerer.com or www.PlanetAEC.com.
Program Contact: Kate Enos, Senior Vice President, (301) 951-6919, Katherine.D.Enos@Schinnerer.com, Marketing Contact: Mary Jefferson, Corporate Marketing, (301) 951-9798, Mary.L.Jefferson@Schinnerer.com
Southwest Risk, LP
Southwest Risk Expands Habitational Real Estate
Facilities to Florida and Carolinas
Dallas,Texas - Southwest Risk, LP (www.swrisk.com), a privately held wholesale broker in Dallas Texas, is expanding CORE facilities to Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina. These facilities provide Property, General Liability and Umbrella Liability coverages for habitational real estate exposures including Apartments, Condominiums, Townhomes, Hotels and Motels. Coverage is available for all construction types, including Frame and Joisted Masonry.
CORE facilities are structured to provide critical coverage for commercial real estate risks. Southwest Risk, LP has teamed with select carriers rated "A" or better by A.M. Best to provide coverage enhancements and limits to satisfy the requirements inherent to the class. These facilities allow Southwest Risk, LP to cover coastal wind exposures along with fire and other perils throughout the Southeast in a cost competitive manner while providing enhanced features not found in most brokered insurance contracts.
For more information, please contact Southwest Risk, LP at 214-206-4900 or info@swrisk.com.
Great American Insurance Group
Great American can fulfill your clients' Employment Practices Liability Insurance needs:
We now offer Costs of Defense outside the limit of liability.
This enhancement is now included, at no additional cost, on most accounts with 100 employees or less. It is also available for an additional charge to most private companies with 101-300 employees. The enhancement is only available if a $500,000 or larger Limit of Liability is purchased.
We write coverage for a broad range of business types. Great American Insurance Group writes EPL coverage for the retail, manufacturing and service industries, as well as many harder to place businesses such as auto dealers, hotels, restaurants and insurance broker/agents. Improved pricing has recently been implemented for restaurants, health care and insurance broker/agent risks.
We offer limits as low as $100,000. Limit options as low as $100,000 are available in a majority of states. In Arkansas, Maine and Missouri, limits as low as $500,000 are available.
We offer retention options as low as $1,000. $1,000 retentions are available to most private companies with ten employees or less. Minimum retentions gradually increase to $5,000 for most companies with 75 or less employees.
We typically offer Third Party Coverage for no additional premium. This enhancement is available on most business types. Some business types may be quoted with a higher, separate retention for Third Party Coverage. Third Party Coverage may also be available on health care risks for an additional premium charge.
We now offer a $100,000 sub limit for Costs of Defense on Wage and Hour claims. This enhancement provides defense costs coverage for this developing exposure typically not covered within EPL forms. The enhancement is available to most private companies with 500 or less employees.
We can write state specific or nationwide programs. Using a master policy or individual policies, Great American Insurance Group writes programs for many industry groups. We will work with you on marketing materials and policy enhancements that make your program stand out from your competition.
The Executive Liability Division of Great American Insurance Group is an experienced writer of Employment Practices Liability (EPL) insurance, targeting companies with less than 250 employees. We offer EPL coverage to both private and public companies on an admitted basis in 44 states and the District of Columbia. We currently do not offer stand-alone EPL coverage for California domiciled risks
For questions regarding your private company D&O/EPL/Fiduciary needs, contact your underwriter or call: Tim Kalteux, 847.330.6853, tkalteux@gaic.com for producers in Midwestern states; Michelle Smith, 847.330.6843, mlsmith@gaic.com, for producers in Northeastern states; Amy Fulton, 847.330.6857, afulton@gaic.com for producers in Western & Southern states.
Oak Street Funding
Oak Street Funding lends $5.5 million to support acquisition of
Arison Insurance Services from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kentucky.
Insurance lender flourishes despite credit crunch
Indianapolis, IN- Oak Street Funding, preeminent insurance lender, completed a $5.5 million transaction that supported Assurance Investment Partners' (AIP) acquisition of the Louisville-based Arison Insurance Services, a former subsidiary of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kentucky. AIP will use Arison as its platform to create a nationally recognized agency offering a full line of insurance and benefits services.
The Indianapolis-based Oak Street Funding, (www.oakstreetfunding.com), which pioneered commission-based lending for insurance agencies, has continued its steady growth despite the nation's credit crunch which has seen other lenders drop out of the market.
Arison was an independent life and health insurance brokerage subsidiary of Anthem until its recent acquisition by AIP. Arison now plans to offer a much broader spectrum of insurance and benefit products and services throughout Kentucky and in states east of the Mississippi River.
"We're thrilled to provide debt capital to support AIP's acquisition of Arison Insurance Services and support their plans to become a major industry force," said Rick Dennen, Oak Street's CEO.
Christina Rashid, one of AIP's managing directors, explained that AIP acquired Arison after a lengthy search process to identify a sizable agency that had the right people, infrastructure and culture to serve as AIP's platform organization. "Arison is poised to become an industry leader," she said. "Thanks to Oak Street Funding, which understands how to value an insurance agency's future earnings streams, we quickly received the debt capital needed to support our acquisition."
About Oak Street Funding
Oak Street Funding is an Indianapolis, Indiana-based commercial finance company that offers commission-based capital through lending or purchasing commissions to insurance agents. As a result, agencies can obtain the financial resources they need to achieve strategic goals such as expansion, growth and succession planning. Oak Street has entered into more than 100 partner programs with agencies, brokerage firms and insurance marketing partners, all tailored to maximize specific opportunities. Plus, it has lent millions to insurance professionals, both public and private, across the United States. Through proprietary technology, Oak Street can accurately evaluate the risks of lending. For more information, visit www.oakstreetfunding.com or call Lisa Nordhoff at 866-625-3863.
About Assurance Investment Partners
Assurance Investment Partners; with offices in Louisville, Tampa and Chicago; was established in 2007 by executives with experience in insurance as well as in mergers and acquisitions to lead an aggregation in the insurance broker dealer industry. Its four founding partners-John Koko, Daniel Needham, Christina Rashid and Joseph "Jude" Thompson-combine their deep domain expertise with access to institutional capital. AIP is looking to build Arison Insurance Services into a nationally branded top-50 independent agency offering a broad spectrum of insurance and benefit products and services, which will grow organically and through acquisitions.
Contact: For Oak Street Funding, Indianapolis, Jack E. Appleman, Wax PR, (973) 263-5455 jackappleman@yahoo.com
NAS Insurance
NAS EXPANDS ABUSE/MOLESTATION COVERAGE
NAS is expanding Abuse or Molestation Legal Expense coverage beyond the traditional risks to include individuals, groups and businesses that sponsor events on their premises, such as:
- Homeowners associations
- Property managers
- Land owners
They join the following entities already benefiting from AbMol coverage:
- Mental Health Services
- Nursing Homes
- Schools and Tutoring Services
- Churches
- Community Theater/Arts Programs
- Camps
- School Bus Companies
For additional information on Abuse/Molestation insurance, please contact Allison Hayase, Underwriter, at (818) 808-4468, ahayase@nasinsurance.com, or click on Abuse/Molestation Legal Expense and Loss Reimbursement. For more information on all of NAS' products, please visit our website at:www.nasinsurance.com.
NAS Insurance Services
Attn: Wholesale Brokers
NAS ACCEPTS OTHER CARRIERS' APPLICATIONS
NAS Insurance Services is now accepting other carriers' applications for the following coverages:
a) Managed Care - (Managed Care Webpage)
b) Miscellaneous Errors & Omissions - (Miscellaneous E&O Insurance Webpage)
c) Computer and Technology Errors & Omissions - (Computer/Technology Liability Webpage)
d) d.. NetGuardT Plus - (NetGuard Plus Webpage)
Subject to all pertinent information being provided on another carrier's application, NAS will accept a currently signed and dated application, along with a signed NAS Warranty Statement.
For additional information on application submissions and/or the above coverages, please contact:
a) Anita Ching-Bryant, Senior Underwriter at (818) 808-4474, or abryant@nasinsurance.com.
b) Kim Nibbe, Senior Underwriter at (818) 808-4460 or knibbe@nasinsurance.com.
c) Sandra Casas, Underwriter at (818) 808-4476 or scasas@nasinsurance.com.
For more information on all of NAS' products, please visit our website at: www.nasinsurance.com.
NAS Insurance Services
Attn: Wholesale Brokers
MEDEFENSE PLUS PROVIDES COVERAGE FOR RACs
The Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) audits, initially launched in three states (California, Florida and New York), have spread nationwide!
The Federal Government has hired Claims RACs in every state to aggressively pursue and investigate large Medicare and Medicaid overpayments due to situations such as incorrectly coded claims, procedures performed which were not medically necessary, and/or services billed multiple times.
By Fall 2006, improper payments had already been identified to the tune of $303.5 million and, with RAC audits spanning the country, that number will only continue to rise-rapidly.
RAC audits are immediate, overwhelming and burdensome:
a) Government inquiries allow only 30 days for response
b) Government take-backs can occur in 60 days or less
c) Resources must be dedicated to locating and submitting records
d) Compliance and documentation are critical but not always sufficient
e) Severe penalties can be incurred for those who are unprepared
MEDEFENSE Plus offers coverage for attorney and audit costs incurred in response to RAC audits, as well as reimbursement for potential fines and penalties.
For additional information on MEDEFENSE Plus, please contact Allison Hayase, Underwriter, at (818) 808-4468, ahayase@nasinsurance.com, or click on MEDEFENSE Plus.
For more information on all of NAS' products, please visit our website at: www.nasinsurance.com.
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